Defeating Odors And Dampness

St. Louis, Missouri (NAPSI) - If your basement is like many inAmerica, it’s all wet. The American Society of Home Inspectors estimates that 60 percent of U.S. homes have wet basements, and 38 percent run the risk of basement mold.

The Causes

Moisture is the most common problem in basements and crawl spaces, either because it comes in from the outside or is being produced inside the home by your family. The soil around walls may have lots of moisture that seeps in through cracks in the foundation or because of hydrostatic pressure from the soil outside the walls or floor.

In addition, basements tend to be cooler than the rest of the house, and because cool air holds less moisture than warm air, basements usually have higher relative humidity than the rest of the house.

Other reasons for excess moisture include:

• Missing, broken or poorly installed gutters or downspouts

• Poor grading around the foundation of the house that causes water to drain toward the house rather than away

• Clothes dryer and bathrooms aren’t properly ventilated

• Windows leak

• Sump pump has failed.

The Problem

While some signs of excess moisture may be obvious, such as the appearance of condensation on windows, they’re also often “invisible” in that they’re hidden in crawl spaces and basements. As studies have shown, up to 50 percent of the air in a house comes from underground areas, and this damp, moldy air rises and eventually makes its way into the rest of the house. There, it can cause poor indoor air quality and uncomfortably high humidity levels.

A Solution

Fortunately, you can control dampness and odors due to high humidity in basements: Use a dehumidifier. The most energy efficient on the market are Santa Fe high-capacity dehumidifiers.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Energy Star-certified dehumidifiers can remove the same amount of moisture as similarly sized conventional units but will use at least 15 percent less energy. Santa Fe offers a dehumidifier that exceeds the Energy Star standard by using 50 percent less energy.

These dehumidifiers will also help maintain the structural integrity of your home, will minimize mold growth, and will improve the indoor air quality of the whole house by removing odor-causing moisture.